US Resumes Deportations to Haiti

U.S. immigration authorities have resumed deportations to Haiti after a nearly three-month reprieve following deadly storms that devastated much of the country.

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman, Nicole Navas, said the individuals being returned to Haiti have final orders of removal and the necessary travel documents.

Immigration advocates describe the deportations as inhumane, saying the U.S. government is sending people to conditions rife with famine and disease. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

No details were released as to the number of deportees or the timing of the flights.

Federal immigration officials canceled deportations to Haiti in September after two back-to-back hurricanes killed nearly 500 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

Some U.S. lawmakers are calling for a temporary protected status for Haitians in the United States. The designation allows people from countries experiencing economic or political problems to live and work in the U.S. for a limited period of time.